Faucet flushing excrement bowl

ABSTRACT

ANIMAL FECES ARE COLLECTED AND DEPOSITED IN A FUNNEL TYPE OF BOWL HAVING BARS OR APERFTURED PLATES CREATING APERTURES IN THE OUTLET OF ABOUT 1/2 INCH MINIMUM SIZE. A FAUCET DISPOSED ABOVE THE FUNNEL DIRECTS A STREAM OF WATER ON THE FECES AND BREAKS THEM UP, CAUSING THE PARTICLES TO PASS THROUGH THE OUTLET APERTURES AND INTO THE SEWER SYSTEM. THE DEVICE IS PLACED OUTSIDE A HOUSE AND IS MOST CONVENIENTLY CONNECTED TO THE SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM OF A HOUSE BY AN EXTENSION ON A SEWER CLEAN OUT, ONE OR MORE BEING CUSTOMARILY EXTENDED TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE HOUSE. PREFERABLY PLASTIC COMPONENTS ARE USED WHICH CAN BE QUICKLY ASSEMBLED NY SUITABLE PLASTIC CEMENT, MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR HOUSEHOLDERS TO INSTALL THE PLUMBING AND THE DEVICE.

2 1971 v1.0. MAGATHAN 3,564,619

mucm' FLUSHING EXCREMENT BOWL Filed Sept. 16, 1.968

HI FRI/'1' l7 as l l3 1" l4 SEWER CLEANOUT EXTENSION l9 FIG-l l9 F/6.2

ATTORNEY FIG. 4

United States Patent US. Cl. 4--10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Animal feces are collected and deposited in a funnel type of bowl having bars or apertured plates creating apertures in the outlet of about /2 inch minimum size. A faucet disposed above the funnel directs a stream of water on the feces and breaks them up, causing the particles to pass through the outlet apertures and into the sewer system. The device is placed outside a house and is most conveniently connected to the sanitary sewer system of a house by an extension on a sewer clean out, one or more being customarily extended to the exterior of the house. Preferably plastic components are used which can be quickly assembled by suitable plastic cement, making it possible for householders to install the plumbing and the device.

This invention relates to a water flush system for the disposal of animal feces and is connected for easy attachment to a household sanitary system.

The owners of dogs and other pets have a serious problem of disposal of the excrement of the pets, particularly in urban areas where local ordinances frequently require the animals to be confined to the property of the owner. Not only does this become a sanitary problem, but the feces are esthetically objectionable and being under foot also limit human use of the premises. Various procedures and systems have been devised, including removal with the rubbish, and special flush toilets that animals are supposed to use. None of these systems is completely satisfactory, and the disposal of animal wastes in urban areas continues to be a problem.

I have devised a simple structure in which the feces may be deposited and water used to flush away these feces through the usual household saniltary system. I have discovered that if the feces are deposited on an apertured plate and subjected to a fairly strong stream of water, they will be broken up and quickly flushed away by the same stream of water. If the feces are not broken up they quickly clog the waste disposal system and render it inoperative.

It is therefore a general object of the invention to provide a feces disposal system using water as a flushing vehicle.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent in the following description and claims considered together with the drawings forming an integral part of this specification in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a portion of the exterior of a dwelling having a faucet flushing excrement bowl secured thereto embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in section through the wall of the dwelling of FIG. 1, showing the water and sewer pipes and the attachment of the excrement bowls thereto;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view in full section, on an enlarged scale, of the excrement bowl of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the bowl of FIG. 3 showing the apertures in the grating at the restriction in the bowl;

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of a modified form of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a dwelling house may have an exterior wall through which normally passes a cleanout sanitary sewer pipe 11 and, in accordance with the invention, a sewer cleanout extension 12 is fastened into this cleanout 11. The cleanout is branched, and there is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 a T extension having an upwardly opening branch 14. The usual cleanout plug 13 maybe secured to the outer end of the extension 12.

Cemented or otherwise sealed to the extension branch 14 is an S shaped pipe 16 which provides a trap area 15 at its lowermost U shaped section. Fitted within the other end of the S shaped pipe 16 is a funnel shaped bowl 17 provided particularly in accordance with the invention. The bowl 17 may be supported in any suitable manner, as by a vertical rod 18 resting on the ground 19. A length of plumbers strap 21 may pass around the rod 18 and restricted part of the bowl 17 and tightened with a fastener to secure the two together. Connected to the usual household water supply is a water pipe 22 passing through the exterior wall 10, and flow through this pipe 22 is controlled by a valve 23 operated by hand wheel 24. The water flows through the valve into a pipe section 22a which passes through an aperture 25 in the sidewall of the funnel shaped bowl 17. Secured to the inner end of the pipe section 220 is an angle outlet, or faucet 26 which directs the flow at the restricted portion of the funnel shape 17 Referring now particularly to FIGS. 3 and 4, it will be noted that the funnel shape 17 has a plate 27 disposed at a restricted portion of the funnel shape, and preferably resting on a ledge. The plate 27 has a number of apertures 28 formed therethrough, and the size of the apertures is preferably in the range of about /2 to about A of an inch, although apertures in the range of to one inch probably would Work. Holes inch in diameter or smaller tend to clog up. These apertures may be formed in any suitable fashion, for example, parallel or crossed bars or hardware cloth may also be used. In any event, the spacing should be about one-half an inch, except that the length of the space along parallel bars is not important if one half inch is used. The principal object is to break up the feces, as other-wise they clog up the pipes.

It is important that the water jet strikes the grate and that the grate 27 be above the level of water in the trap 46. so that the water jet impinging upon the grate area will direct maximum force to the feces. If the pipe 44 is 2 inches internal diameter, the grate 27 should be 3 inches to 5 inches above the overflow level of the trap.

Illustrated in FIG. 5 is a modified form of the invention, wherein an exterior wall 40 has a cleanout pipe 41 to which is secured a cleanout extension 42 having a Y shaped branch 43. Connected to the branch 43 is a straight length of pipe 44 to which is connected a trap section 46, terminating in an upright section 47, which receives a funnel shape 48 to direct a stream of water toward the restricted portion of the funnel shape 48. A suitable bafile or bar arrangement (not shown) may be disposed at the restricted portion of the funnel '48 to form narrow apertures, having a dimension of about /2 of an inch.

OPERATION The operation of the device of FIGS. 1 through 4 is as follows:

The owner of the premises picks up the animal feces or excrement in any suitable fashion, as by a shovel, and deposits them in the funnel shape 17. He then operates the hand wheel 24 of the valve 23 which directs a strong stream of household water supply toward the apertured grate 27 in the funnel shape 17. This stream of water impinges upon the feces and breaks up the feces until they are fine enough to pass through the apertures in the plate 27. The finely divided material is then carried by the current of water generated by this flow of water at the plate 27, past the trap 15 and into the upper section of the S shape 16, whence it flows into the cleanout extension 12, and from there into the sewer pipe 11 of the usual sewer pipe system of a dwelling house. Two important features of my apparatus cause it to function effectively: the first of these is the plate 27, or its equivalent, which allows particles of only a half inch or smaller to pass, and the second is the provision of a high power stream of water directed on the animal waste or feces to break up these feces into the small particles. The usual minimum water pressure for municipal water systems of 30 to 40 pounds per square inch gives a useful pressure of a minimum of 20 pounds per square inch, and this, I find, is suitable for forming a jet to break up the animal waste. This is in contrast to the usual flush toilet which operates 011 a few ounces of pressure, and there is no action to break up feces. The closer the nozzle 26 is to the plate 27 the more intense is the jet, and a safe rule I have found for varying water pressures is a distance of about 6 inches. As shown in FIG. this distance can be increased where the water pressures are greater than the minimums.

MATERIALS OF CONSTRUCTION I have found that my waste disposal apparatus can be conveniently put in place by the usual householder if made of plastic materials and cemented by any suitable plastic cement, such as epoxy resin. Accordingly, I prefer to form the funnel shape 17, the S shape 16 or its equivalent, and the sewer cleanout extension 12 of plastic materials. These are light in Weight and easily handled by the householder, and a very tight bond is obtained between these parts with the usual plastic cement. The plastic cement is also effective in bonding the cleanout extension to the household sewer pipe. The post 18 is optional but desirable.

A strong jet action is desirable when the water strikes the feces, and this can be accomplished by forming the faucet outlet as a nozzle or using a smaller outlet than the pipe. For example, if /2 inch pipe is used as at 22a, and an opening of inch is used for the faucet outlet 26, a jet type of stream will result.

While I have described my invention with respect to specific embodiments thereof, I do not limit myself to these embodiments, but include within the scope of the following claims all variations and modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. Apparatus in combination with and adapted to be connected to a household sanitary sewer system for the disposal of solid animal feces and in combination with and adapted to be connected to a household water supply system comprising:

(a) a funnel shaped receptacle into which the wastes are deposited;

(b) a grating in a restricted portion of the funnel shape 4 and upon which the wastes rest and having apertures with one dimension of not less than /2 inch;

(c) means for directing a jet of Water at the grating which holds the solid wastes and connected to the household water system at household pressure; and

(d) a connection from the bottom end of the funnel receptacle to the sanitary sewer system of the household,

said jet being utilized to break up the feces on the grating and to encourage the fragments to pass through the grating to be flushed down the sanitary sewer system.

2. Apparatus as described in claim 1 wherein the con nection has a U shaped portion to form a trap against sewer gases when filled with water.

3. In combination with a household sanitary sewer system of a house having a cleanout disposed on the exterior of the house, and in combination with a household water supply system, apparatus for the disposal of solid animal wastes comprising:

(a) a branched extension secured to the cleanout;

(b) an upright funnel shaped receptacle having a grating in a restricted portion thereof, wherein the openings are not less than one-half of an inch in dimension and upon which the wastes may rest;

(c) a connection from the bottom of the funnel to the branched extension and including a trap; and

(d) a faucet having an outlet directed at the grating and connected to the household Water system at water system pressure, for supplying a stream of water under pressure at the grating, said stream being utilized to break up the feces on the grating and to flush fragments through the grating into the sanitary sewer system.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein the extension is a Y extension.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 3, wherein the extension is a T extension.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,203,743 11/1916 Johnson 41GD 1,459,713 6/1923 Beggs 41OUX 2,715,735 8/1955 McPherson 4-10 3,032,776 5/1962 Obert et al. 41

FOREIGN PATENTS 12,126 7/1889 Great Britain 4-10 678,472 9/1952 Great Britain 4-10 997,559 7/1965 Great Britain 4-1 WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner H. K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner 

